DOCSLIB.ORG

What Influences Language Change?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
What Influences Language Change? 東京家政学院筑波女子大学紀要第１集 215～225ページ 1997年 What Influences Language Change? －in Australian Words and Usages－ Hiroyuki Yokose Abstract This paper reports recent results from a research study in Australian and New Zealand English. After investigating a few examples of other language first, I show the chart of other languages like (1). And next, (1) Linguistics as a cause for semantic change. Also I divide the types of semantic change into three meanings: (1) Extension of meaning, (2) Narrowing of meaning, (3) Transfer of meaning. Next, as (1) metaphorical idioms are literal English; this is evident when phrases are connected with specific activities which are often part of the the cultural or historical background of the country come to be used in everyday speech. Next, (2) Compoundings are different in N.Z. in metaphor as a source of semantic change. And there are three points concerning identifiable words and phrases: A. borrowing from the Maori language B. coinage C. semantic change. I think that semantic change is probably the most common source of words of local origin. 1. Introduction The main purpose of this paper is to report recent results from a research study in the Australian English. The results indicate language change with references to Australian words and usages. After investigating some examples of other language, I find that native speakers of Australians tend to take short cuts in their use of language. "Vocabulary is the least closely structured part of the language and so most subject to change" (The English language in Australia and New Zealand G.W.Turner) There are several different types of questions and responses in Australian language. In the types of semantic change, this is obviously when a words increases its range and association: This is evident when phrases connected with specific activities which are often part of the cultural or historical background of the country come to be used in everyday speech. Sometimes the original meaning will be lost or lost sight of and the metaphor will be quite unconsciously accepted as literal English. － 215 － 東京家政筑波女子大紀要１ 1997 Examples are: The first is the characteristic Australian greetings. G'daymate. (Hello, mate.) Owyagowin? (How are you going?) The standard response to this; NO bad. (Not so bad.) Wanna dog's eye? (Do you want a meat pie?) Jeez, it's brass monkey. (It's very cold.) She is top sort. (She is a good looking girl.) It's feeding time at the zoo. (It's time to have a meal in a hurry.) If something is okay, She is sweet. or, She is apples. (It'll be all right.) It is difficult at times to decide what is true coinage and what is merely some form of semantic change. When it comes to compounding, when the concept is a new one rather than just the intensification of an old meaning, it will be deemed a coinage. Semantic change is probably the common source of words with their flavour. What influences language change? 1. Other languages British English => American English (most of their vocabulary) "dinkum" "pass the buck" Australian English =Is that true? =to shift responsibility New Zealand English "half-pie" "taboo" "veranda" =imperfect =forbidden =a large porch Maori Pacific Languages Other (polynesian) (Indian, Chinese) Causes For Semantic Change 1. Linguistic Native speakers of Australian and NZ English tend to take short cuts, especially in spoken language. This shortening of words or set phrases in common practice in many languages. Examples are: comfy - omfortable kindy - kindergarten compo - worker's compensation nasho - national service footy - Australian Rules football smoko - break for a smoke etc, rest from work garbo - garbage collector Yammy - Yamaha motorcycle － 216 － Hiroyuki Yokose：What Influences Language Change? Australians are fond of putting "ie" on the ends of the words and converting their language into baby talk, but the fact remains that Australian language has been abbreviated to form shortened words that are now structures in their own right. They go to the greengrocers for vegies, You take the kids to kindies, If you a tart you wear lippies, You get bitten by mozzies, Come to our barbie party. Did you bring your sammie and bikkies? etc. Examples are: vegies - vegetable Aussie - Australian kindies - kindergarten chappies - chap, fellow lippies - lipstick cossie - swimming costume mozzies - mosquito goodie - ethical, good person barbie - barbecue hollies - holidays sammie - sandwich hotties - hot-water bottle bikkies - biscuits sickie - a day absent from work Brissie - Brisbane sunnies - sunglass If an "ie" ending doesn't seem appropriate for the shortened form of a word, then an "o" is added instead. If we have an oil fire we buy kero for it, when you're off working you might be doing a bit of bizzo, unless you're in the army when you are doing nashos. Other common shortened forms are, a kangaroo is a roo, Australia itself is OZ. Let me give you a demo you want some info on the lingo. kero - kerosine dero - derelict bizzo - business garbo - garbage collector nashos - national service hippo - hippopotamus demo - demonstration intro - introduction info - information lesso - lesbian lingo - language limmo - limousine Abo - Aborigine milko - milk vendor aggro - aggressive mo - moment arvo - afternoon muso - musician condo - conominium rego - vehicle registration Types of Semantic Change 1. Extension of meaning 2. Narrowing of meaning 3. Transfer of meaning － 217 － 東京家政筑波女子大紀要１ 1997 1. Extension of Meaning This is obviously when a word increases its range and association. Examples are: Bush - It means native forest with dense undergrowth-in fact all "wild" areas of vegetation. "Forest" which normally implies exotic plantings, usually pine; sometimes the collocation "native forest" appears, usually in formal language only. A "bush" has quite different and more traditional meaning. Mob - Originally applied to people, especially in urban areas; now in Australia and NZ applied to :unruly" groups of sheep. Paddock - Originally a small field near the house for keeping horses in. In New Zealand English it has come to mean all "field" no matter their size or function. Pine - This has been applied to describe many native trees which are neither related to pine trees nor to each other, red pine, black pine, white pine. Because of this liberality the true pine trees are often called by their Latin name "pinus". Plains - Used to refer to grasslands not necessarily flat, Eg. Awwarua Plains in NZ. Station - From Australian English-a convict settlemen term. Used in relation to large farms, particularly in the country. 2. Narrowing of Meaning This is when a word loses something from its range of associations; it could be that it loses one specific meaning or a whole rage of meanings. Some words become so narrowed in connotation that they ultimately dissappear from the language. Examples are: Field - In English this means any enclosed agricultural area. It implies a whole range of purposes: wheat field, hay field, corn field, field for sheep etc. It has been supplanted by "paddock" and its usage narrowed to the register of sports: rugby field, hockey field, baseball field, sports field etc. Flock - In English this refers to a group of sheep, stationary or moving but in NZ it only refers to the sheep owned by the farmer. Bushranger - Although an Australian word this is an interesting example of language change through the narrow of meaning. Originally it meant anyone who lived in the bush but over a period of time it became the world to describe the Australian equivalent of the British "highwayman". 3. Transfer of Meaning Bail up - Which means to hold up (bail up a coach, bail up a person) is derived from "bailing up a cow in a cow bail". － 218 － Hiroyuki Yokose：What Influences Language Change? Metaphor as a Source of Semantic Change 1. Metaphorical Idiom This is evident when phrases connected with specific activities often part of the cultural or historical background of the country come to be used in everyday speech. Sometimes the original meaning will be lost or lost sight of and the metaphor will be quite unconsciously accepted as "literal" English. Examples are: Yea, we're gettin creamed. -We're getting annihilated. That bastard not worth feedin. -He is not good enough for the team. Avago ya mug! -Don't just stand there you fool! Givim a go. -Give that person a fair chance. There's a big blue started on the hill. -There's a big fight started on the hill. Wanna shoot through? -Do you want to leave now? No way. -I don't want to go (leave). I'm staying to the death. -I'm staying till the end of the game He'll start it in a mo, no worries. -He'll start it in a moment, it's O.K. It's freezing, so they get rugged up and hit the -It's freezing, so they dressed up in warm road. clothes and left the road. As soon as they get there, he cracks the tinnies -As soon as they get there, he opens cans of while they sit down and start flapping their beer while they sit down and start talking. gums. Wanna dog's eye? -Do you want a meat pie? Yeah, orright. Remember the tom sauce this -Yes, all right. I need a tomato ketchup this time. time. Orright, save me pozzie. -Will you save my seat? Doan go crook at me! -Don't ge upset with me.! Ben decides to nick off. -Ben decides to go away. He gets in the Kingswodd, chucks a u-ey and -He makes a u-turn and heads back towards the heads back towards the main drag. main road. I want to buy my pre-loved car. -I want to buy my second hand car.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Longitudinal Study of Fear, Attitudes and Beliefs About Childbirth from a Cohort of Australian and Swedish Women
    Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 843 ‘No worries’ A longitudinal study of fear, attitudes and beliefs about childbirth from a cohort of Australian and Swedish women HELEN HAINES ACTA UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS ISSN 1651-6206 ISBN 978-91-554-8547-4 UPPSALA urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-185081 2012 Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Auditorium Minus, Gustavianum, Akademigatan 3, Uppsala, Friday, January 18, 2013 at 02:10 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Medicine). The examination will be conducted in English. Abstract Haines, H. 2012. ‘No worries’: A longitudinal study of fear, attitudes and beliefs about childbirth from a cohort of Australian and Swedish women. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 843. 99 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-554-8547-4. Much is known about childbirth fear in Sweden including its relationship to caesarean birth. Less is understood about this in Australia. Sweden has half the rate of caesarean birth compared to Australia. Little has been reported about women’s beliefs and attitudes to birth in either country. The contribution of psychosocial factors such as fear, attitudes and beliefs about childbirth to the global escalation of caesarean birth in high-income countries is an important topic of debate. The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate the prevalence and impact of fear on birthing outcomes in two cohorts of pregnant women from Australia and Sweden and to explore the birth attitudes and beliefs of these women. A prospective longitudinal cohort study from two towns in Australia and Sweden (N=509) was undertaken in the years 2007-2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of English and American Studies English Language And
    Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Jana Krejčířová Australian English Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph. D. 2016 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph.D. for her patience and valuable advice. I would also like to thank my partner Martin Burian and my family for their support and understanding. Table of Contents Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 7 1. AUSTRALIA AND ITS HISTORY ................................................................. 10 1.1. Australia before the arrival of the British .................................................... 11 1.1.1. Aboriginal people .............................................................................. 11 1.1.2. First explorers .................................................................................... 14 1.2. Arrival of the British .................................................................................... 14 1.2.1. Convicts ............................................................................................. 15 1.3. Australia in the
    [Show full text]
  • On the Lexical Features of New Zealand English
    Journal of Literature and Art Studies, April 2019, Vol. 9, No. 4, 392-397 doi: 10.17265/2159-5836/2019.04.005 D DAVID PUBLISHING On the Lexical Features of New Zealand English YAN Hong-cai, SONG Yin-qiu Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China New Zealand English has a history of more than 200 years. Compared with other English variants, New Zealand English vocabulary has formed its own unique linguistic characteristics in terms of Maori vocabulary, compound words, changes in lexical meaning, acronyms, slang, and idioms, etc. A study of the lexical features of New Zealand English is helpful to our comprehensive understanding of English as a universal language. With the development of economic and cultural exchanges between China and New Zealand, it is of great practical significance to the study of New Zealand English. Keywords: New Zealand English, Maori, vocabulary, features Introduction Language is the product of social development. It must be closely related to the whole history of a country, a nation or a region. In 1769, British navigator James Cook discovered New Zealand and landed for the first time at Gisborne on the east coast of New Zealand North Island. After that, immigrants gradually moved to New Zealand and began to form New Zealand English. New Zealand English has long been linked to British English because of colonization, immigration, trade, and culture. However, due to social, historical, and cultural constraints, the new regional environment and social characteristics have changed New Zealand English. On the one hand, New Zealand English inherits and absorbs British English, Australian English, and Maori language, and also has a close relationship with them.
    [Show full text]
  • No Worries” in Australia and ‘Worrisome Indianisms’
    Oman Journal of ELT Volume 3 April 2018 www.ict.edu.om (i) Advisory Board : Dr. Azzah Al-Maskari Dean, Ibra College of Technology Mr. Basim Mubarak Juma Al-Mushaifri HoC, ELC, Ibra College of Technology Mr. Salim Nasser Saif Al-Sadi HoS - ELP, ELC, Ibra College of Technology Mr. Hilal Aamir Al-Hajri HoS - CTM, ELC, Ibra College of Technology Editor : Mr. C. Kodhandaraman Lecturer, ELC, Ibra College of Technology Editorial Board : Mrs. Anandan Latha Lecturer, ELC, Ibra College of Technology Mr. Sherwin Tapit Auman Lecturer, ELC, Ibra College of Technology Mr. Selwyn Cruz Lecturer, ELC, Ibra College of Technology, Published by : English Language Centre, Ibra College of Technology Printed at : Publishing Centre, Educational Technology Centre, Ibra College of Technology Copyright : English Language Centre, Ibra College of Technology Layout Design & Printing by : Mr. Praveen Ragi Mr. Edgar M. Recolizado Mr. Vincent T. Superalis Technicians, ETC Ibra College of Technology (ii) OJELT welcomes articles from teachers and researchers from any institution in Oman. This Journal is annual and will be published in May every year. (iii) Dr. Azzah Al-Maskari Dean, Ibra College of Technology From the Dean Welcome to the third issue of Oman Journal of ELT! While it is true that information comes in many forms, I always believe that journals like this not only provide the information that one needs, but also provoke deeper thinking that empowers you as a reader. This journal presents a wealth of verified knowledge from the efforts of hardworking academic writers, researchers and contributors. Reading through these pages will let you view topics from many educated perspectives, hence helping you formulate your own conclusion.
    [Show full text]
  • 5. Qualitative Study on Hypocoristics in Australian English
    DIPLOMARBEIT / DIPLOMA THESIS Titel der Diplomarbeit / Title of the Diploma Thesis „No Biggie! No Worries! An Empirical Investigation of the Australian English with a Focus on its Use of Hypocoristics“ verfasst von / submitted by Alina Czerny angestrebter akademischer Grad / in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magistra der Philosophie (Mag. phil.) Wien, 2018 / Vienna, 2018 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt / A 190 344 299 degree programme code as it appears on the student record sheet: Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt / Lehramtsstudium UniStG degree programme as it appears on UF Englisch UniStG the student record sheet: UF Psychologie und Philosophie UniStG Betreut von / Supervisor: Prof. Mag. Dr. Barbara Kryk-Kastovsky sponsored by The University of Vienna To my wonderful Mum - Thank you for always being here for me! Acknowledgements I would like to use this opportunity to say Thank You and Danke to the people who have supported me during this, sometimes very challenging, process of writing and finishing my thesis. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Kryk-Kastovsky. Thank you for your interest in my topic from the beginning onwards, your motivational conversations and constructive feedback at any time. I am really thankful that you encouraged me to take on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conduct my research in Brisbane. Thank you also for establishing a network with Professor Goddard for me, which enabled me to come back to Australia and experience a face-to-face research situation with the Australian participants of my study. I am very happy to have had such an encouraging and engaging supervisor like you.
    [Show full text]
  • Whinger! Wowser! Wanker! Aussie English: Deprecatory Language and the Australian Ethos
    Proceedings of the 2003 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society 1 Whinger! Wowser! Wanker! Aussie English: Deprecatory language and the Australian ethos Karen Stollznow University of New England karenina_stollznow@yahoo.co.uk 1. Introduction Abusive epithets form a significant part of the vocabulary of many people and have become a colourful and expressive part of the Australian lexicon, surfacing with great frequency within Australian television, radio, literature, magazines, newspapers and in domestic, social and work domains. Australian terms of abuse are unique compared to those found in other varieties of English. Geoffrey Hughes (1991:176) comments: “the Australian speech community has developed its distinctive array of insults and swear words”. The aim of this study is to examine the meaning, usage and cultural significance of the popular abusive epithets whinger, wowser and wanker as they are used in contemporary Australian English. Australians are often perceived as honest, forthright and upfront. Renwick (1980:22-29) observes: “Australian men and women are friendly, humorous and sardonic and can also be derisive, disdainful and scornful. They readily express negative feelings and opinions about both situations and people, sometimes about people they are with.” The words selected for this study are culturally significant and representative of social values in that they express characteristics deemed undesirable in Australian society. Abusive epithets are labels that admonish deviant social behaviour and can be considered to be keys to understanding synchronic cultural values. E.g. the socially leveling term wanker ridicules a person who is pretentious and arrogant, thereby suggesting that humility, solidarity and being down-to-earth are highly valued qualities in Australian society.
    [Show full text]
  • An Analysis of 'Whinging', 'Dobbing' and 'Mateship' in Australian Contemporary Culture
    An Analysis of 'whinging', 'dobbing' and 'mateship' in Australian Contemporary Culture Yanyan Wang The Australian National University Abstract Every language has its language–specific concepts and each culture has its culture- specific values. A way to understand the culture is to understand the central concepts. To understand the concept, a thorough analysis of cultural key words is one of the methods. The words whinge and dob in are Australian cultural key words discussed by Wierzbicka (1997). But what cultural value do they reflect? And what role do they play in Australian contemporary culture? This short article undertakes a semantic analysis of these two words using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework to demonstrate the Australian culture-specific value of mateship. At the same time the article gives some insights into the role the two words play as cultural norms, people’s attitude and socialisation of children. 1. Introduction The article starts the discussion with the following narrative. At the dinner table, I asked my 6 year-old boy, who is attending kindergarten, what he had learned in school. He happily told me that they learned how to deal with bullies. My son used his five fingers of his right hands and said: “First, talk friendly, second, talk firmly, third, ignore, fourth, walk away, and…..”. Before he finished, my nephew, who is an 18 year-old Chinese boy, said: “Report to the teacher”. My son burst into tears and said: “No, not report to the teacher. I don’t like the word ‘report’. It doesn’t sound nice”. From my son’s reaction to the word report I can see that the concept of “report” is different from my Chinese nephew to my son.
    [Show full text]